Starting to plan a vacation trip to Italy from USA, looking for suggestions

[elvisboy77]

So, I am thinking about taking a vacation trip to Italy next spring or summer.  Looking for suggestions as to where to fly into (Rome? Milan? Paris?) from the East Coast of US, what is the best time of year to go, motorcycle rentals, and lodging.  Of course, I am going to visit the Guzzi Factory as part of the trip!

Thanks, never been there.

[pete roper]

Ummm? You do know Paris isn't in Italy?

Fly into Milano and unless you really want to see 'The sights' get out as quick as humanly possible.

Mandello isn't far away and is a nice *Working* town and the Lakes are fantastic, just circumnavigate Lake Como and you'll see a heap of fantastic stuff. See Salo and you can rejoice in the the final fall of Fascism!

After that? Our principle when we travel ANYWHERE is to generally avoid the big and famous places. This is particularly relevant in Italy, (And most of Europe.) because the place is so stuffed full of culture and history that you'll find equally interesting, just not as famous, stuff in almost every tiny bumfuque town in the entire peninsular.

Last year we spent three weeks in Italy with another couple from Queensland who had never been to Europe before. With Jude's rather outdated Italian and my schoolboy French, (Jude studied in Italy in the early eighties and was convinced that she was saying the equivalent of "Hey, Daddy-O! How's it hangin'!" As her colloquialisms were so horribly dated! ) we got by.

Best things? Italy and Italians! Worst thing? I put on about ten kilos and can't seem to shed it!

Pete

[elvisboy77]

Ummm? You do know Paris isn't in Italy?

Fly into Milano and unless you really want to see 'The sights' get out as quick as humanly possible.

Mandello isn't far away and is a nice *Working* town and the Lakes are fantastic, just circumnavigate Lake Como and you'll see a heap of fantastic stuff. See Salo and you can rejoice in the the final fall of Fascism!

After that? Our principle when we travel ANYWHERE is to generally avoid the big and famous places. This is particularly relevant in Italy, (And most of Europe.) because the place is so stuffed full of culture and history that you'll find equally interesting, just not as famous, stuff in almost every tiny bumfuque town in the entire peninsular.

Last year we spent three weeks in Italy with another couple from Queensland who had never been to Europe before. With Jude's rather outdated Italian and my schoolboy French, (Jude studied in Italy in the early eighties and was convinced that she was saying the equivalent of "Hey, Daddy-O! How's it hangin'!" As her colloquialisms were so horribly dated! ) we got by.

Best things? Italy and Italians! Worst thing? I put on about ten kilos and can't seem to shed it!

Pete

Fantastic advice, thanks, Pete! I am the same, not so much into the big tourist draws.

[pete roper]

The big tourist 'Draws' are, of course, spectacular. The problem is that unless you go in the middle of winter, (Which in itself is no bad thing, we has a week in Rome over the new year in 2000-2001 with three kids in tow and it was fantastic as it was virtually free of gawping tourists, (Like us! ) but things have changed a lot since then so even midwinter might be busy now.

Really though the best places are the small towns. Hell! You could go to Barrea and ask if anyone knew the mad Yankies and everyone would point at Nelson and Jan!

Also be prepared for how *Different* all the regions are. If you haven't travelled much outside the US which has one of the most homogeneous cultures in the world in terms of things like food and *lifestyles* you'll be surprised by how very different everything can be in a matter of fifty to a hundred miles. Please note this is NOT a criticism of the US, Jude and I are currently making plans for a return visit next year, we love the US it's just an observation as made by an *Outsider*.

Pete

Pete

[Orange Guzzi]

WARNING THIS COMMENT MAY BE POLITICAL TO SOME HERE>

My State District Representative (political speak) sent a notice that a record number of passports are expiring and there is a back log on All request.  In addition to that, Most Nations will not except a pass port that is about to expire.  He warned to apply sooner than later if your pass port is near expiration. 

I would love to tag along.  Malta would be my destination. 

[arveno]

You know that Malta is not Italy.....😊

[elvisboy77]

WARNING THIS COMMENT MAY BE POLITICAL TO SOME HERE>

My State District Representative (political speak) sent a notice that a record number of passports are expiring and there is a back log on All request.  In addition to that, Most Nations will not except a pass port that is about to expire.  He warned to apply sooner than later if your pass port is near expiration. 

I would love to tag along.  Malta would be my destination.

Thanks for the heads up!  Mine was renewed in 2014 so I should be good but boy it would STINK to find that out at the last minute.  Good call.

And yeah, Malta would be cool, too (Italy or not, just like Paris, LOL)

[old head]

the wife and I went about 10 years ago during early January.  It was cool, but very nice.  We went to Rome, Tivoli, Sienna, and Florence.  We went with my one of my Architecture professors to see the architecture.  Surprisingly, I was the only architecture student, all the rest were interior designers.

At any rate, Florence was my favorite.  It was clean, uncrowded, and charming.  Rome was dirty, crowded, and well, just not appealing aside from the architecture.

 the food was awesome, and I tasted my first geloto.   We would often walk the streets at night till 1 or 2 and never had an issue  except for drunk in Rome harassing one of the young women designers, he hated Americans.

Public transportation was always crowded, walking seemed to be faster and better.  We tried the bus once, and used the subways a couple of times, but not vry often due to the crowds.   We prefered taxis.

Too many other places to see to tread over the same ground again, but it was amazing seeing the buildings, statues, and art work.  the Vatican has unknown riches inside their little fortress.  I would have liked to spent a couple of days there, but we only spent an afternoon, but it is a place to see.

Old Head

[elvisboy77]

the wife and I went about 10 years ago during early January.  It was cool, but very nice.  We went to Rome, Tivoli, Sienna, and Florence.  We went with my one of my Architecture professors to see the architecture.  Surprisingly, I was the only architecture student, all the rest were interior designers.

At any rate, Florence was my favorite.  It was clean, uncrowded, and charming.  Rome was dirty, crowded, and well, just not appealing aside from the architecture.

 the food was awesome, and I tasted my first geloto.   We would often walk the streets at night till 1 or 2 and never had an issue  except for drunk in Rome harassing one of the young women designers, he hated Americans.

Public transportation was always crowded, walking seemed to be faster and better.  We tried the bus once, and used the subways a couple of times, but not vry often due to the crowds.   We prefered taxis.

Too many other places to see to tread over the same ground again, but it was amazing seeing the buildings, statues, and art work.  the Vatican has unknown riches inside their little fortress.  I would have liked to spent a couple of days there, but we only spent an afternoon, but it is a place to see.

Old Head

Thanks for the advice.  I am thinking avoid the big tourist draws, based on these comments.  Very helpful!

[Orange Guzzi]

You know that Malta is not Italy.....😊

Yes, My Father was a Honorary Resident as a member of the Sovereign Order of Saint John of Jerusalem Knights of Malta,  OSJ.  They visited there often.  Yeah, my dad was a Real Night. 

Malta is very close though. 

[azguzzirep]

Just stay in the north of Italy. It'll provide sensory overload!

Also, don't go in August . That's when the Italians go on vacation.

[Orange Guzzi]

Yes, My Father was a Honorary Resident as a member of the Sovereign Order of Saint John of Jerusalem Knights of Malta,  OSJ.  They visited there often.  Yeah, my dad was a Real Knight. 

And may I add, had a private visit with the Pope.  Was presented some ancient religious artifacts.  One of my family member's has pieces of wood suppose to be from the Cross Jesus was Crucified on given to my Father by the Pope. 

Malta is very close though.

[elvisboy77]

What an honor!!

[KiwiKev]

Maybe hit one or two of the tourist spots like Venice & Florence just to say you've been. Be a shame to miss them all out.

We stayed in a little village about an hour north of Florence, nice place but the food wasn't the greatest there.


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[Mr Pootle]

I love southern Italy, and especially Sicily. The influences are fantastic. Phoenicians, Greeks , Carthaginians, Romans, Arabs, Normans, Spanish, they've all left their mark, both on the landscape and on the food. I was there last week for my second trip, and really enjoyed it. Fly to Catania or Palermo.

[Mr Pootle]

And while we were in Sicily my wife and i ran into this interesting gentleman. I suspect he'll not mean much to the Americans and Canadians here, but the British and Australians may recognise him.

[Matteo]

I love southern Italy, and especially Sicily. The influences are fantastic. Phoenicians, Greeks , Carthaginians, Romans, Arabs, Normans, Spanish, they've all left their mark, both on the landscape and on the food. I was there last week for my second trip, and really enjoyed it. Fly to Catania or Palermo.

I loved walking on the old coastal paths atop the walls at night with a gelato while the festa's are in full swing. They had the best dessert's.

[Huzo]

Heading there in a few weeks for the fourth time on the Norge. I shipped it as usual to London and leave from Calais through everything in between. There's fabulous stuff everywhere you go, you can't lose. Leave from Calais and put Como into the Garmin or Tom Tom and just ride !!! My bike's in London now and I haven't even got a plan. It'll be loosely strung around Nordkapp, Como, Sicily and just see what happens, don't plan much at all.

[arveno]

Visit Garda lake .
Bergamo , Verona and while you there...Trento.
If you like Alfa Romeo , go to Arese MI , there is the Museum.

Roma and Napoli should be visited.

Anyway...even though Italy it's a small country, there is a lot to visit ..
Enjoy your trip and plan to go back to visit whatever you missed.


Do you like the sea? Liguria/Tuscany are nice place to visit ( cinque terre is awesome)
Puglia is nice too...

Too many places, lol

[elvisboy77]

Heading there in a few weeks for the fourth time on the Norge. I shipped it as usual to London and leave from Calais through everything in between. There's fabulous stuff everywhere you go, you can't lose. Leave from Calais and put Como into the Garmin or Tom Tom and just ride !!! My bike's in London now and I haven't even got a plan. It'll be loosely strung around Nordkapp, Como, Sicily and just see what happens, don't plan much at all.

Thanks, I am also not going to over plan it, I can always go back!  I hope you enjoy your trip.

[elvisboy77]

Visit Garda lake .
Bergamo , Verona and while you there...Trento.
If you like Alfa Romeo , go to Arese MI , there is the Museum.

Roma and Napoli should be visited.

Anyway...even though Italy it's a small country, there is a lot to visit ..
Enjoy your trip and plan to go back to visit whatever you missed.


Do you like the sea? Liguria/Tuscany are nice place to visit ( cinque terre is awesome)
Puglia is nice too...

Too many places, lol

Thank you so much for the advice!  Yes, it does sound like too much to see on one visit.  How exciting!

[Moto]

The best places to go depend on what you like, and what you already know. If you like and know about ancient history, there is nothing like Rome. It's all still there, and every century since, with changes in eras around every corner, it seems. But if you don't like history, it's a big disorderly city.

If you like romance and the exotic, you would like Venice. It is a maze of cul de sacs that you explore by foot, crossing footbridge after footbridge over the canals. The seafood is unforgettable.

If you like art and the Renaissance, then Florence is for you. If you'd like to see the city that lost to Florence and stayed Medieval, go to Siena.

The places I like best are Rome and Mandello del Lario, probably because I stayed both places a while, and did things that brought me into personal contact with Italians.

I recommend you avoid sightseeing, and make sure you don't spend all your time on a motorcycle or in transit.

If you go to Rome or the other big cities, go in winter. If you go to a small place like Mandello, go in early summer when it's warm and sunny, drink wine, and eat the delicious food. There is no need to do more.

Have fun!

[sidmonsters]

You can't but eat well no matter where you are in Italy!  I too tend to avoid the major "sights", but I thought Pompeii was very special.  Napoli was special, too, but not in a good way.  The Amalfi coast was wonderful, but we were there in late autumn--I hear it is a mess in high season...

[groundhog105]

Here's my advise.  I've traveled for 6 to 10 weeks at a time for four years.  I would recommend you fly into Milan and enjoy yourself there for a couple days. If your going to be there for one or two weeks then rent a motorcycle, if your going to be there longer then consider shipping a bike over.  You can ship to Italy but if you do it can only stay there for six months.  You can contact Eligio at Mototouring in Milan to help facilitate the shipping.   If you want to keep the bike and leave it there for future trips then I would recommend that either you work with Eligio to purchase a used bike or ship with the help of Stefan Knopf at Knopf Touring in Heidelberg Germany.  If you ship outside of Italy there's no tracking of the motorcycle and you can leave it as long as you want.  On Knopf web page people buy and sell motorcycles.  Milan is only a one day ride from Heidelberg.  If you ship to Knopf he will have a shuttle pick you up and has a bed and breakfast at his facility.  Good guy to work with.  He also can sell you all the insurance you need.
     Personally I keep a bike at Milan but shipped it over outside of Italy.
      Good luck and if you want more info feel free to PM me
      There is so much to see in Italy and the surrounding countries in the major towns and in the country it's incredible.  Don't go in August as the crowds are horrible with the rest of Europe on vacation.  Late May to July is good, or September. 


Bob

[malik]

Last year a mate hired a V9 from the Guzzi dealer in Vienna (I seem to remember) Austria. It was relatively cheap & he put 6,000km on it. If interested, I could confirm the details for you.

Mal

[Huzo]

Thanks, I am also not going to over plan it, I can always go back!  I hope you enjoy your trip.

Thanks Elvis, as I said, you can't lose.

[Mr Pootle]

Fly to Naples. Take the coast road south, to Calabria. In four to five hours you'll come to Cetaro. Just north of it is the Grand Hotel San Michele. Spend a night there. Great food. It has its own farm all around it, and grows more than 70% of what is served in its restaurant, including the wine and olive oil. Carry on down to the tip and take the ferry across to Sicily. Head south down the east coast to Syracuse. Rome is a new town in comparison. The cathedral in Syracuse incorporates the pillars of a 4Cbc Greek temple. Archimedes invented a weapon there to defend the city from the Athenians. Take a side trip to Ragusa and Noto. Then fly home from Catania.

Rome, Milan, Florence etc are great, but so expensive. The prices are good in the south, the food and wine terrific, the people friendly. Going to the capital city and a couple of other big cities is all very well, but would a trip to NYC, LA and Miami tell you much about the USA, or would you just get ripped off in the restaurants?

And, by the way, the fellow with my wife in the photo way back in this thread is the eponymous star of the Italian cop show, Inspector Montelbano, shown on British TV, and I believe Australian. We stumbled over the set in Ragusa. The series is based on the books of Andrea Camilleri. Worth a read.

[Moz]

ok so you'll head to Mandello museum as every true guzzisti ought - just check the time as they're only open 2-3 hours in the afternoon some days..  after that, it's up to you.. much to see north to Switzerland and south to the mezzogiorno and beyond.. All I would add it the Adriatic coast is not to be lightly dismissed - real sand (compared to the east cost) and real people, at least less tourists.. 

[elvisboy77]

ok so you'll head to Mandello museum as every true guzzisti ought - just check the time as they're only open 2-3 hours in the afternoon some days..  after that, it's up to you.. much to see north to Switzerland and south to the mezzogiorno and beyond.. All I would add it the Adriatic coast is not to be lightly dismissed - real sand (compared to the east cost) and real people, at least less tourists.. 

Yes, I was thinking of checking out the museum, thanks for the heads up.  And I will add the Adriatic coast to my list!  Thank you.

[elvisboy77]

Last year a mate hired a V9 from the Guzzi dealer in Vienna (I seem to remember) Austria. It was relatively cheap & he put 6,000km on it. If interested, I could confirm the details for you.

Mal

I would really like to know about that, thanks!